Page 92 of Chasing Paradise

“Hey, if you’re here to eat bugs, we can be friends,” I told him.

I kept an eye on him as I waited for Wick, my heartbeat tripping faster and faster with each passing moment when he didn’t return.

Even though I didn’t hear men’s voices or gunshots, my stomach was twisted in knots as the sun started to dip lower and lower.

Inside the cave behind the waterfall, the temperature dropped more than usual, making me shiver.

Then, a crunch.

I went up on my knees, trying to squint through the water, but it was impossible to see more than a blurry shadow.

“Marco,” he called, voice low.

“Polo,” I called back, startling my frog friend enough to squeak again.

“You were gone a long time,” I said as he moved into our little cave.

“The açai tree was further than I remembered. Were you worried about me, duchess?”

“What? No. Of course not. I made a new friend,” I said, waving over toward the corner of the cave. “He has a butt.”

Wick let out a little chuckle at that. “Does he also have a frowning mouth?”

“Yes!”

“He’s a rain frog.”

“He makes really cute squeaks.”

“Until he won’t shut up when you’re trying to sleep,” Wick said, sliding in beside me, and putting a heavy bag on my lap. “Got a ton of açai. Some monkeys must have climbed the tree and shaken a bunch down. We got lucky.”

“These are kind of tart, right?” I asked, sniffing one of the fruits.

“Yeah. Kind of bitter, but with a hint of sweet too. I had a few. They’re decent. They’ll hold us over, anyway. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, we are in a fancy hotel and you are in a food coma.”

“From your mouth to God’s ears,” I said as I popped fruit into my mouth. My eyes winced a bit at the tartness, but after a few of the berries, I got used to it. It was food. I couldn’t complain.

“How’re your legs?” Wick asked once we both had our fill and sealed the bag back up.

“They’re sore, but tolerable. How’s your head?”

“Throbbing a little, but I’m not dizzy anymore, so that’s a win.”

“It’s chilly,” I said as a little shiver moved through me.

Wick’s arms reached for me immediately, pulling me until my legs were over his and my head was against his chest.

“I’m gonna sleep like this,” he told me, his hand rubbing up and down my back. “I don’t think my back could handle sleeping on the rocky ground.”

“This works for me,” I said, already feeling his warmth leach into my cold skin.

We were both out in no time at all.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Violet

I woke up damp with mist from the waterfall, but warm in Wick’s arms.

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